Eventually the cinema may become an all electronic system. Until that time, it is likely that programs will be shot on film, processed digitally, and then scanned back onto film for distribution to theaters. Scanning the film, digitizing the signal, and later scanning back onto film is now done with laser scanners. These are very expensive and slow. They typically take several seconds per frame for the scanning process. In addition to this speed problem, there is a need for an optical pre and post filter in the process. The film grain beats with the scanning pattern producing alias spatial frequencies that are more visible than the original grain. When scanning back onto film there is normally a visible pixel structure. This can make the image look like it has screen wire superimposed on the image.
It is among the objects of the present invention to provide improved techniques and apparatus for producing electronic signals representative of images on a source film, and also for recording, on an object film, images represented by electronic signals.